Above: The Mariners have their first win since returning to the league. Photo: A-League Women.
In their second match back in the A-League Women, Central Coast Mariners were deserved winners against Adelaide United.
In the first 10 minutes of the match, Adelaide despite having had 61% of the possession, was an even encounter at that stage as Central Coast had the best chances in attack but was nothing too dangerous for United to deal with.
Adelaide came close to opening the scoring in the 13thminute, with a great pass by Dylan Holmes to Hannah Blake who crossed the ball into the back for Holmesbut, Holmes was only able to toe-poke the ball with her attempt. With more time, it could have been a different story for Adelaide.
Five minutes later, it was Central Coast who came close to scoring via a great no-look pass by Isabel Gomez that found Bianca Galic whose cross in the box for Rola Badawiya was defended well by Zoe Tolland as her intervention prevented Badawiya from having a clear chance at goal.
In the 29th minute, Adelaide had a great opportunity to score as Alana Jancevski provided a great through ball into the box for Rosetta Taylor as Taylor went aroundCourtney Newbon but was denied by a great defensive display by Ash Irwin who put her body on the line to prevent a United goal which saw the match briefly halted as a result.
At the half-hour mark, while neither side had run away with the match, it was the Mariners who had made the more prolific chances that amounted to action within the box but Adelaide led the possession over Central Coast but was a lot closer than earlier in the match.
In the 42nd minute, Central Coast took the lead of the match with a great short corner by Badawiya whose cross first found Jazmin Wardlow as her header bounced off the back of Jenna Holtz and up until the air where Taren King just beat Claudia Jenkins to the ball where her header went directly the back of the net for the opening goal.
It was the Mariners’ first goal in their return campaign to the league and King’s second goal in the A-League Women.
Six minutes into the second half, Central Coast came close to doubling their lead as a great passage of play with Badwiya, Paige Hayward and Wurigumula saw Hayward provide a through ball into the path of Wurigumula in the box but her shot on an angle was blocked by Jenkins.
In the 56th minute, an amazing through ball by Isabel Gomez found Wurigumula in the box who perfectly controlled the ball at her feet as she slotted the ball past Jenkins for Central Coast’s second goal of the match and her first in the league. The one-two by Annabel Martin and Gomez was essential towards the goal being scored.
Twelve minutes later, from an Adelaide corner, they finally got onto the scoresheet with a great build-up in play with a great through ball by Holmes to Sarah Morgan as Morgan’s cross in the box found Ella Tonkin who put the ball into the back of the net for her first A-League Women’s goal.
Towards the end of the match, while Adelaide made some chances down their Central Coast’s end for an equaliser they just weren’t able to convert with a chance by Blake in the 88th minute was their best chance of doing so but was comfortably saved by Newbon.
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On the eve of Round Two of the A-League Women, Impetus recaps the press conferences for Adelaide United, Central Coast Mariners, Wellington Phoenix and Canberra United.
Article edited and composed by Genevieve Henry 20/10/2023
Adelaide United
By Kieran Yap
Above: Adelaide United coach Adrian Stenta. Image: Adelaide United media.
The Reds are ready after short turnaround
In the aftermath of one of the craziest games in the history of the A-League Women, Adelaide United coach Adrian Stenta was feeling upbeat before their next match against Central Coast Mariners.
The four-all draw solved one problem from last season. In 2023/2023 The Reds only scored 16 goals. Just 90 minutes into this campaign they have scored four, all through different players.
“There were some real positives to take out of the game,” Stentatold the media.
“We liked a lot of what we were able to produce.
“Obviously we’re not going to be a team that’s happy with conceding four goals every week so obviously some things to work on as well.”
Two of the goals conceded to Canberra were due to defensive mix-ups and uncharacteristic errors from Annalee Grove. The Australian U23 Goalkeeper has been trusted to bounce back in Round Two by her coach.
“I mentioned this after the game. A goalkeeper makes a mistake, and everyone notices it and sees it. Sometimes forwards miss goals from six yards out and everyone gives them a pat on the back and no-one really says much about that.
“Mistakes are part of the game. I make mistakes, players make mistakes. We’ll back our players to get the job done next week.
“We’ve got full faith and trust in her as a player and a leader within our group.”
Adelaide went into Round One missing some key players and with playmaker Emily Condon only available off the bench. With a four day break between matches, Stenta warned against expecting many players returning from injury and half joked that the list might be a little bit longer if anything.
Based on last weekend’s performance, things are already starting to click at Adelaide United. The front three in particular looked in sync and effective, with Emilia Murray being decisive off the bench.
“To be honest we didn’t change much from two years ago to last year to this year, but that’s football sometimes.
“I’ve always tried to set my teams up in an attacking way and to play an attractive brand of football.
“For some reason we just couldn’t hit the back of the net last year but its really good to start with a number of opportunities and four goals on the weekend.”
Friday’s match against Central Coast will be the curtain raiser for the first men’s match of the season. After drawing an impressive crowd in Round One, Stenta is excited for that post World Cup momentum to continue.
“I think we’ve got a really strong league with the potential for it to continue to grow.
“I think these girls deserve our support.
“They’re great players, great role models and ambassadors and I strongly encourage anyone that is interested in attended the men’s game on Friday to come a little bit earlier and watch some fantastic football from great footballers.”
Canberra United
By Ryan Miller-Woods
The media heard from Canberra United Head Coach NjegoshPopovich and in-form midfielder Vesna Milivojevic ahead of Canberra’s match against Melbourne City on Saturday.
Canberra’s first match of the season against Adelaide United was a game, that despite giving away two penalties and conceding four goals, was nevertheless filled with more positives than negatives. They managed to score four goals with a brace from Milivojevic and skillfully capitalised on Adelaide’s mistakes.
When asked about his thoughts from the Adelaide game, Popovich said:
“There’s a lot of learning moments for us in that game (against Adelaide) without a doubt. We’re still trying to find our feet as a squad and as a group. Very entertaining with a lot of goal activity, which is fantastic. For us (Canberra) it’s been the focus this week on trying to prevent goals more than score goals. We have an amazing attacking side, it’s just about learning from the moments on the weekend as a young group.”
What was apparent with Canberra’s upcoming opponents Melbourne City in their opening-round match against Wellington Phoenix was that they didn’t have it all their own way as the Phoenix matched what City had to offer and while they played well, the goal took a rebound off Wellington’s goalkeeper Rylee Foster to win last Sunday and it can be argued that City were somewhat fortunate to have been victorious.
When asked about who are the big threats that City have, Popovich said:
“They’re threatening all over the field. For us we’re concentrating on ourselves, we’re not really too concerned about them (Melbourne City) in terms of individuals but (they) are a very good group, a good team. It is a great opportunity to test ourselves and see exactly where we are at the moment.”
In the match against Adelaide, Milivojevic continued from where she had left off last season as she has now scored eight goals in her past six matches and was once again one of Canberra’s most important players on the pitch. Her contributions and passages of play were crucial in the match.
When asked whether she is feeling more comfortable playing at Canberra in her second season with the club, Milivojevic said:
“Definitely! I feel more prepared going into games and not overthinking things, just playing the game that I’ve always played.”
When asked what she is expecting from City this round, Milivojevic said:
“A tough game, every game is hard. We know they (Melbourne City) like to keep the ball and play possession football.”
In a follow-up to her previous response, Milivojevic was asked whether Canberra will need to be more patient in how they approach the match with City’s style of play and making chances really count whenever they do come around, to which she said:
“Yeah! I think we’re pretty strong on the counter-attack, so we’ll try to use that (to our advantage).”
Central Coast Mariners
By Ryan Miller-Woods
The media heard from midfielder Bianca Galic and Central Coast Mariners Head Coach Emily Husband ahead of their upcoming match against Adelaide United on Friday.
Despite the defeat in the opening round against Newcastle Jets, there were still some positives that came out of Central Coast’s first match back in the league in 14 years. With potentially some of the nerves from the opening round out of the way, can now focus their attention towards Adelaide.
In regards to how the players are feeling ahead of the match against Adelaide, Galic said:
“We’re really excited. We’ve obviously got a few pointers to learn (from) in Round 1 which we’ve been working on during the week and we’re hoping to bring all of that on Friday when we verse Adelaide.”
The match on Friday against Adelaide will also be Central Coast’s first away game in their return campaign.
When asked whether there is a different approach to playing an away game at the start of the season, Galic said:
“I think there’s always going to be a different approach with away games. You’re obviously missing that home feel, you’re not playing on your normal field or you don’t have the (home) crowd around you either. But we’re there to do a job and we hope that wherever we can play, we can perform.”
While only one round has been contested so far in the A-League Women’s season, Central Coast’s opponents this round Adelaide look exactly like a team that will be in firm contention for the finals if their match against Canberra United was anything to go by. Adelaide played well specifically in attack and looked like a well-rounded team that will only keep on improving throughout the season.
With what Adelaide looks like for this season from Galic’sperspective, she said:
“Adelaide’s looking pretty good. They just had a 4-all draw with Canberra on the weekend, so you can see based off that, they (Adelaide) can score goals but the fact that Canberra also scored four, they (Adelaide) can be scored against.”
While Central Coast lost their first match back in the league, it is important to note given how close the result was against Newcastle, on another day, it could have been the Mariners the ones victorious.
When asked about any takeaways from the opening-round game against Newcastle, Husband said:
“Obviously in the first half, the girls took a while to adjust to playing in front of such a big crowd. I think in the second half, we (Central Coast) came out and were a lot braver in our press, braver in the way we went forward with the ball and that was really pleasing to see. That’s what we want to build off of for this week.”
What the match between Adelaide and Canberra showed, is how well Adelaide transitioned in their plays with it being both really energetic and fast going. It can be argued that they were quite unlucky to have not won on Sunday from the sheer number of chances that they created in the match itself.
When asked about how tough Adelaide are looking from her perspective, Husband said:
“They (Adelaide) got off to a really good start, scored a few goals against Canberra (United) on the weekend, so no doubt they’ll be confident coming into the game against us (Central Coast). But it is still early days for everybody and a lot of teams are still finding their feet, so it’s anyone’s game.”
Wellington Phoenix
By Genevieve Henry
Above: Wellington Defender Mackenzie Barry
Source: Wellington Phoenix
The media heard from Wellington Phoenix defender Mackenzie Barry ahead of their clash with Western Sydney Wanderers this weekend.
Following their tough, yet well-fought, match against Melbourne City last weekend, Barry said:
“We competed well and we showed what we’ve been practicing. We’ve developed a new style of football.” Their 1-0 defeat to City showed that Wellington are ready to take another step forward this year to compete with the best teams.
Barry said that they were happy with the result, as many players were away or injured, so for a squad with little experience, this was a good result. The highlight of the game was the seven debutantes showing up for Wellington. Barry spoke highly of Macey Fraser in particular, saying “I think Macey’s been in the academy for three or four years now, so she’s worked hard and I think it showed. She played really well.” She was also thrilled about how easily their internationals slid into the squad. The promise of a cohesive and bonded squad looks good for the season.
Barry and her teammates are looking forward to the match, but know it won’t be easy. “It’s always a good battle against the Wanderers.” Wellington have a mixed record when facing the Wanderers and are prepared for a testy match that could set the tone for their season.
Exciting news for the A-Leagues came recently as the Phoenix will have a double header with their men’s side in Auckland at prime time. Barry said, “It’s great to be able to showcase what talent we have in person to other areas of New Zealand in person.” The impact this game will have on young girls will be palpable.
The news of the Unite Round being held in Sydney is being applauded by players and fans alike. Barry said with a laugh, “We all get to play in Sydney during that round, and then whoever is top of the table gets to host, which makes sense to me!” She was cautiously excited about that, saying, “If we are good enough, if we’ve earned that spot, it would be amazing to host at home.”
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Above: Adelaide United’s Mariah Lee scored from the penalty spot in the 4-4 draw with Canberra United. Photo: Adelaide United.
Adelaide United might not have gotten the win against Canberra United, but there is a good feeling among the players as they prepare for Round Two against Central Coast Mariners on Friday evening.
The four-all draw in the season opener was widely regarded as the most entertaining match of the round and although they conceded more than they would prefer, new striker Mariah Lee was happy to focus on the positives of the day.
“Scoring four goals is a huge confidence booster,” she told the media.
“I know they struggled to score goals in the past so one of our goals was to attack.”
Lee, Alana Jancevski, Emilia Murray and Hannah Blake all found the net in the epic encounter. It was the first time any of the strikers had played a competitive match together, and they had no trouble finding immediate form as an attack.
“Stents (coach Adrian Stenta) did a great job of getting us on the same page,” said Lee.
“I’m excited I want to have a lot of fun and score sone goals this season.
“It was out first time playing together. I think the whole attacking side, we are all new, so it was nice to feel that cohesion and it’s always good to go out firing from the start and just build from there.”
Adelaide United expect to tighten up at the back, there was an injury question about goalkeeper Annalee Grove who was not in full training. The hero on so many occasions last season was responsible for some significant errors on the weekend, but Lee says that the Reds win and lose together.
“Soccer’s a team sport.
“Collectively we need to do a better job.
“We all need to tighten up and we can’t be letting four goals in but from the coaching staff to every person on the team we’re bought in and we just want to improve every week.”
Adelaide United’s defence can only be expected to improve with the impending return of centre back Maruschka Waldusand captain Isabel Hodgson. This week may be too soon to see either back on the pitch, but only minor improvement in their performance could results in a win against the leagues newest side.
A big crowd is expected at Coopers Stadium once more, The Reds kick-off the evening as the first half of a double header. After a strong attendance in Round One, Lee is excited to be at the same ground again.
“We’re so excited. To have the turn out last week for the first game following the World Cup was huge.
“To have the double header here again, the ground is amazing, the grass is amazing and having the fans goes such a long way.
“I’m just really excited and I’m taking it all in.”
With the attack clicking, the midfield impressing and the defence improving, Adelaide fans could expect another goal fest from their new strike force, but are another four goals likely?
“I hope,” says Lee.
“Four is a lot, if we can do it awesome, but definitely not letting for in. That’s not happening.
“We’re just trying to be firing on all cylinders really.”
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Above: Beth Mead applauds the crowd at The Emirates Stadium after Arsenal’s late win over Aston Villa on Sunday – a game that saw the Lionesses star make an eagerly awaited return from injury in. Photo: goal.com
For 88 minutes, the action on The Emirates turf struggled to ignite the crowd, bar from the small pocket an Aston Villa fans when Maz Pacheco’s nodded finish gave Villa the lead 25 minutes.
In fact, the only moments that saw the Arsenal crowd get to their feet were the moments Beth Mead would venture away from the bench to warm up.
It was her first team on the Gunners’ bench this season for a WSL game after she ruptured her ACL last November.
Mead’ right leg was the one that had been damaged, and with two minutes left on the clock, and two goals needed for Arsenal to get their first win of the season, Jonas Eidevall turned to his superstar for the first time in nearly a year.
It was the loudest roar of the Sunday afternoon, as nearly all of the 35,000 fans got to their feet to welcome back their hero.
When most make their first appearance after such a serious injury, it is just about getting minutes in the tank and getting used to the pace of the high-level game, which is impossible to recreate in any training scenario, unscathed.
But Mead isn’t like most, she instantly matched the speed of this frantic game, at a vital moment in Arsenal’s season. If they were to lose this, they would have continued their worst start since the WSL, but the Lioness was as determined as anyone on the pitch.
Her first involvement was to send Stina Blackstenius through on goal, just after Katie McCabe levelled, but the Swede clipped the post.
If Villa thought they were going to get a Mead slightly off-pace, they couldn’t have been further from the truth, because a minute later she had set up the winner.
Mead collected the ball just outside the box, moved the ball into the box, maybe a little heavier than she expected, and extended her right leg to lay the ball off to Alessia Russo to strike.
That was it, Arsenal had completed the turnaround and as soon as Russo’s shot squirmed under Daphne van Doomselaar, the team enclosed Mead into a group hug.
Above: Beth Mead (9) celebrates with Alessia Russo and Victoria Pelova after Russo’s late winner for Arsenal on Sunday. Photo: Ben Phillips for Impetus.
Speaking after the game, Gunners boss Jonas Eidevall said: “She deserves that reception, she has worked so hard. She has had a really difficult year, with her being injured and her mum passing away.
“We know that that has been incredibly tough for her but it is so nice seeing her back on the pitch and seeing her perform straight away. “You never know if they will, obviously I had the hope that is why I put her on, but you don’t know until you see it and that was very nice.
“So, a special moment. Mead is extremely good, she is really intuitive in those moments, but that’s what I mean when I say she is coming onto the pitch and got that straight away. Sometimes you don’t but she does it obviously because she is Beth Mead.”
It was only 14 minutes, the two minutes of normal time and 12 additional time minutes, so there is still a long time to go until Mead completes 90 minutes back-to-back, but when she is Arsenal will start to live up to their pre-season expectations.
Arsenal had struggled to penetrate through the centre in their first two home games, often forced out wide to hit aimless crosses. And for both Liverpool and Aston Villa, they found it comfortable but what Liverpool had the luxury of compared to Aston Villa was the absence of Mead.
As soon as Mead entered the field Arsenal were more direct and aggressive through the centre which was optimised by the goal. The Lionesses star can also add unpredictability to Arsenal’s attack as well as having the ability to create either through her dribbling, passing or finish.
Mead is a one-of-a-kind, but the Gunners have a plethora of attacking options, a problem that Eidevall didn’t have last year. With the 28-year-old return, Arsenal have a player who is able to link all that talent together and has already been able to build a connection with star summer addition, Russo.
Eidevall said: “Let’s hope so, we have seen them (Russo and Mead) together in the national team. It is not a hope that is based on fantasies, we have seen that work in reality so let’s hope that we have a lot of good relationships.”
Russo’s winner, in the 94th minute, was her first WSL goal for Arsenal, and throughout the match, she was marshalled quite well, with her only other opportunity a header cleared off the line.
But the former Manchester United striker was busy throughout, she was dropping deep to collect the ball and carried well to relieve pressure. It is a key part of her game, but when it comes to finishing Russo is at her best when it is instinctive, something that can be helped with Mead coming back, which we have seen during their time with England.
That relationship at the national team will have to wait, with Sarina Wiegman deciding against calling Mead up, despite being in attendance on Sunday. Mead’s exclusion will be welcomed by Arsenal’s medical staff, and Eidevall as he will hope that the striker’s return will mark the start of an upturn in luck, with Leah Williamson and Vivianne Miedema still returning from long-term injuries.
But for now, it is Mead’s return that will be celebrated by Arsenal supporters and her short cameo has already.
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Above: Ebony Salmon is part of a very strong England U23 squad announced by Emma Coates for their forthcoming two fixtures. Photo: Aston Villa.
England Women’s U23 Head Coach Emma Coates has selected a 23-strong squad for fixtures against Italy and Portugal
The Young Lionesses are in action in October as they look to continue their unbeaten start to their new European league.
Emma Coates’ side will first travel away to Vercelli to face Italy on Thursday 26th October (14:30 BST), before welcoming Portugal to the Joie Stadium, home of Manchester City Women, on Monday 30th October (19:00 GMT), with tickets still on sale priced at just £5 for adults and £3 for concessions.
It is familiar opposition for the England WU23s, having last faced Italy in November 2022 in a 0-0 draw, and defeating Portugal in April 2023 in an exciting 3-2 victory away from home.
The Young Lionesses boss Emma Coates said: “Our season got off to a strong start in September and the performances gave us plenty to build from. Off the pitch, it was fantastic to see a record crowd for the WU23 age group turning out to watch us beat Belgium in our first home game. As we continue our European league we want to build on that momentum and hope to see another good turnout in Manchester.
Above: Katie Robinson, who has senior Lionesses experience, is in the U23 squad for this month’s two fixtures. Photo: Lucy Atherton for Impetus.
“This new European competition gives our players experience playing in bigger stadiums and in front of bigger crowds. It gives them a taste of what they can expect in the senior environment if they get the call to move across and ensures they are connected to the pathway. Our October fixtures will be another good chance to test ourselves against quality opposition.”
Defenders: Tara Bourne (Sheffield United), Anouk Denton (West Ham), Naomi Layzell (Bristol City), Ella Morris (Southampton), Poppy Pattinson (Brighton & Hove Albion), Mia Ross (Charlton Athletic), Kiera Skeels (Charlton Athletic)
Midfielders: Laura Blindkilde Brown (Aston Villa), Melisa Filis (West Ham), Ruby Grant (BK Hacken), Missy Bo Kearns (Liverpool), Lucia Kendall (Southampton), Ruby Mace (Manchester City)
Forwards: Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea), Freya Gregory (Reading, on loan from Aston Villa), Emma Harries (West Ham), Jessica Naz (Tottenham Hotspur), Molly Pike (Southampton), Katie Robinson (Brighton & Hove Albion), Ebony Salmon (Aston Villa)
Jean-Pierre Thiesset summarises the fourth round of 2023-2024 D1 Arkema season plus an exclusive photo gallery of Ellie Carpenter.
Above: Ellie Carpenter, Blue band head, and Lyon took back the lead of D1 Arkema. Photo: Jean-Pierre Thiesset for Impetus.
Bordeaux 1-1 Montpellier
On a pitch not great for playing football, Montpellier put a lot of pressure on Bordeaux from the start of the match. Marie Levasseur, a transfer from Fleury to Montpellier this season, returned to her preferred position at right back.
She had a great first half especially on 39 minutes with a perfect defensive tackle prevented Mylaine Tarrieu to score.
Above: Marie Levasseur, Montpellier, orange & white shirt (3). Photo: Bordeaux website.
Montpellier came close to opening the scoring but hit the post from a Nérilia Mondésir shot on 42 minutes
23-year-old French international Maëlle Lakrar made her return at half time in the centre of defence after several weeks out.
Following a handball from Charlotte Bilbault, Andréa Lardez converted the 50th minute penalty to open the scoring for Bordeaux.
Montpellier levelled the scores with a header of Léa Khelifi converting a cross from Mondésir on the hour.
Scorers for Bordeaux: Lardez 52’
Scorers for Montpellier: Khelifi 60’
Paris FC 2-0 Guingamp
Paris FC left several usual starters on the bench to rest after their game versus Wolfsburg this week in UEFA WCL. They slightly dominated the first half but without any goal.
Scorers for Paris FC: Thiney 69’ penalty, Dufour 89’
MATILDAS WATCH – Sarah Hunter (Paris FC)
Sarah Hunter was still not in the group for this game.
Le Havre 2-2 Lille
There were four graduates of the Olympique Lyonnais Academy on the pitch for this game: Inès Benyahia and Eva Kouache for Le Havre and Lorena Azzaro and Jessy Roux for Lille.
Lille dominated much of the match. Azzaro scored the first goal for Lille on seven minutes and on 24 minutes, Maité Boucly delivered her second decisive pass to Nesryne El Chad who scored for Lille with a header.
With a little bit of luck or efficiency, Le Havre could have reduced the score with three opportunities in the five last minutes of first half.
Lille goalkeeper Elisa Launay had an outstanding performance with several saves and especially on 67 minutes with a huge stop from a header from Benyahia and twice on 88 minutes prevented Le Havre from pulling one back.
In spite of those heroics, Le Havre eventually scored twice in stoppage time to earn a draw.
Scorers for Le Havre: Tchaptchet 90’+2,Ali Nadjim 90’+8
Scorers for Lille: Roux 7’ El Chad 24’
Booking: Naomie Bamenga (Lille) yellow 26’, 45′
Paris Saint-Germain – Reims – stopped at beginning of 2ndhalf
Paris Saint-Germain played without Oriane Jean-François who ruptured her ACL during the UEFA WCL game against Manchester United on Tuesday. PSG enjoyed almost 80% of possession but Reims prevented them scoring by fighting on all balls, playing with nine players in defence and trying to have opportunities with counterattacks.
Reims had the best opportunity of first half and almost scored with a shot on the crossbar in the 40th minute.
Unfortunately, this game was stopped at the beginning of the second half due to a few teenagers who launched hundreds of fireworks onto the pitch from outside the stadium. Allegedy because they had been forbidden to enter in the stadium as they did not have any ID.
The French Football Federation will need to decide what to do this week, as it is the first time ever that such a problem arises in D1 Arkema.
We can expect that FFF will try to make an example and will likely apply strong sanctions against PSG.
Clare Hunt, played 74 minutes in the UEFA WCL entering to replace Oriane Jean-François who injured at the 17th minute earning a performance score of 3.3 on a scale of 5 by UEFA.
Clare Hunt was not in the group for this game versus Reims. Jocelyn Prêcheur, Paris SG coach, said that she is slightly injured and that he wanted her to rest and be ready for the UEFA WCL return game versus Manchester United on October 18.
Fleury 2-1 Dijon
Fleury players played with a pink shirt for the fight against breast cancer because it is an awareness month in France.Fleury slightly dominated the first quarter and had a few opportunities but was not able to open the scoring. Then, Dijon stepped up and the game became more even.
Dijon scored first at the end of first half, but Fleury scored twice during the last 30 minutes to win this game.
Scorers for Fleury: Grabowska 63’, Kamczyk 70’
Scorers for Dijon: Jankovska 42’.
Olympique Lyonnais 6-0 Saint-Etienne
More than 1,500 fans were at this derby between 2 towns separated only by 40 km. As the scoreline suggests, Lyon were dominant throughout. The match was not without controversy as the referee tended towards leniency in the face of several Saint-Etienne fouls that might usually have been punished.
Above: Eugénie Le Sommer, Lyon, white shirt in centre, celebrating one of her two goals. Photo: Jean-Pierre Thiesset for Impetus.
More positively, Eugénie Le Sommer continues to surprise everybody with her another great performance in the twilight of her career.
Above: Hat-trick hero, Lindsey Horan, Lyon, white shirt number 26, celebrating one of her three goals. Photo: Jean-Pierre Thiesset for Impetus.
Scorers for Lyon: Gilles 15’, Le Sommer 16’, 26’, Horan 23’, 79’, 85’
Bookings: Faustine Bataillard, Saint-Etienne yellow cards 29’ and 90’
Sonia Bompastor, Lyon coach, rested several starters in this game Ellie Carpenter played only in the first half but she gave another excellent performance.
Ellie Carpenter photos’ gallery. Exclusive photos of Jean-Pierre Thiesset from pitch side for Impetus Women’s Football. The Matildas fullback is in white shirt with the number 12.
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Impetus had photographers out and about from tier one to tier nine at the weekend. Here, they choose their favourite images for you (16/10/23).
Above: Sydney FC’s World Cup hero Cortnee Vine breaks through against Western Sydney Wanderers in the opening round of the A-League Women. Photo: Kris Goman for Impetus.
Brighton and Hove Albion 1-3 Tottenham Hotspur
from Mariella Prew at the AMEX Stadium
Barclays Super League (Tier One)
Liverpool 0-1 Everton
from Matthew Appleby at Anfield
Barclays Super League (Tier One)
Sydney FC 2-0 Western Sydney Wanderers
from Kris Goman at Allianz Stadium
A-League Women (Tier One)
Watford 1-2 Lewes
from Grace Jones at Grosvenor Vale
Barclays Championship (Tier Two)
AFC Portchester Development 4-2 Havant & Waterlooville Reserves
from Rob Mellor at Wicor Recreation Ground
Hampshire County League Division Three (Tier Nine)
Eastbourne Town Development 1-1 AFC Uckfield Town
from Jon Smalldon at Compton Place Road
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Impetus had Ruby Perry in the press box and Matthew Appleby pitch side on photography at the Leigh Sports Village (16/10/23).
Above: Manchester United’s Nikita Parris (left) and Leicester City’s Courtney Nevin contest possession yesterday. Photo: Matthew Appleby for Impetus.
Leicester City are still unbeaten in the WSL after coming away with a well-earned point against Manchester United at the Leigh Sports Village.
Ahead of the match, there were celebrations for two players at either end of their United careers as Gemma Evans made her debut and Mary Earps made her 100th appearance for the club.
Above: Manchester United and Leicester City face off yesterday. Photo: Matthew Appleby for Impetus.
During the first half, the Red Devils looked to assert themselves on the game with impressive passing movements, however the Foxes were not content to sit back and defend, and put some excellent patterns together themselves.
The best chance of the half though fell to Katie Zelem who arguably should have shot rather than passing. Conversely, United lost Gabby George due to injury with Jayde Riviere coming on in her place with impressive effect.
Above: Hinata Miyazawa (20) takes a touch for United. Photo: Matthew Appleby for Impetus.
As the game moved into the second half, Leicester stepped it up and hit the front on the hour mark when captain Aileen Whelan dispatched the ball into the net at the far post from a free kick.
However, within seven minutes, United levelled. Defender Maya Le Tissier headed home from Zelem’s corner.
Above: Leicester City’s Courtney Nevin (right) puts a tackle in. Photo: Matthew Appleby for Impetus.
Despite both sides’ further efforts, there were no further goals.
Teams: MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): Earps, Blundell, Le Tissier, Turner, George,Ladd, Zelem, Garcia, Miyazawa, Malard, Parris. Substitutes used: Riviere, Evans, Williams, Galton, Toone.
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Impetus had Nathan Edwards in the press box and Ben Phillips pitch side supplying exclusive photography at The Emirates Stadium (16/10/23).
Above: Alessia Russo (far right) celebrates her late winner with returning Arsenal hero Beth Mead and Victoria Pelova. Photo: Ben Phillips for Impetus.
Alessio Russo scored her first WSL goal for Arsenal to complete a stoppage-time comeback against Aston Villa and pick up their first league win of the season.
With Arsenal heading into the 90th minute a goal down, after Maz Pacheco headed Aston Villa ahead, 25 minutes in, Katie McCabe and Alessia Russo scored two in two additional-time minutes to win.
Above: Caitlin Foord (centre) wins an aerial duel against Aston Villa yesterday. Photo: Ben Phillips for Impetus.
Arsenal’s first victory of the season put an end to their worst start to a campaign since the WSL formed, and also marked a return for Beth Mead after 11 months out.
With both teams having a torrid opening to their campaign the slow start could be excused, with Pacheco’s clearance rescuing Daphne van Domselaar, after Caitlin Foord’s cross squirmed under her.
The full-back would then play a vital part in Arsenal’s box 25 minutes in, arriving unmarked to nod in Lucy Staniforth’s corner, which was gifted to Villa after mix-up between Kim Little and Manuela Zinsberger.
That was Villa’s first real chance of the game, but their second was to quickly follow with Rachel Daly’s flick easily claimed by Arsenal’s goalkeeper.
Above: Steph Catley looks to break through. Photo: Ben Phillips for Impetus.
Van Domselaar, who was signed from F.C. Twente in the summer, grew into the game but was again left flapping at a lofted cross that fell to Lia Walti who couldn’t direct her header goalwards.
Russo and last season’s WSL top goalscorer Daly were both marshalled well by their opposing defence in the first half.
But on the occasion Arsenal’s forward did manage to escape Villa’s players her looping header was cleared off the line by her international teammate.
With their worst start since in WSL history staring them in the face, and Aston Villa deciding to not venture too far out of their own half, Arsenal continuously put Carla Ward’s side under pressure.
Above: One of many battles yesterday afternoon! Photo: Ben Phillips for Impetus.
Just after the hour mark, Foord spun Anna Patten and unleashed a curling shot that bent onto the post, and with Russo chasing the rebound Van Domselaar did well to claim.
Little could be done to get the crowd cheering until the introduction of Beth Mead, who suffered an ACL injury in November 2022, two minutes from time.
The returning striker played an influential role in helping Arsenal complete a memorable comeback, with Kate McCabe’s flashed finish levelling two minutes into added time.
Arsenal were eager to record a win, and Stina Blackstenius raced onto Mead’s pass, after Russo’s flick-on but couldn’t creep her shot into the far corner, as it bounced off the post.
Russo would then arrive onto Mead’s layoff to squeeze a strike under Van Domselaar and ensure Aston Villa remained winless in the WSL after three games.
ASTON VILLA (5-2-3): Van Domselaar, Mayling, Patten, Turner, Corsie, Pacheco, Staniforth, Parker, Blindkilde, Daly, Magill. Substitutes: Leat, Lehmann, Leon, McLoughlin, Nobbs, Salmon
Scorer: Pacheco 25’.
Referee: Amy Fearns.
Attendance: 35,829.
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Back for the third season, Impetus’ team covering the A-League Women nominate their choices for player, coach, and event of the week. The votes for player and coach are tallied up and then come the end of the campaign we’ll reveal our Player and Coach of the Season once more (16/10/23).
Player of the week
Above: Susan Phonsongkham – the choice of two of our contributors for player of the week. Photo: Tom McCarthy.
BEN GILBY: Susan Phonsongkham has found it hard to consistently find her best form at Perth Glory as a result of suffering so many injuries. Yet, on Saturday night, she showed Glory fans exactly what she is capable of. It was a thrilling performance full of dancing feet, outrageous skill, beating defenders, and firing dangerous crosses right into the mix. The Perth star provided the icing on the cake with a lovely curled bouncing shot to put her side in front.
EMMA BURKE: Courtney Newbon. Announced as a signing for Central Coast Mariners only 90 minutes before kickoff, and not only makes the starting 11, but produces multiple crucial saves (including a double save in the first half) to keep the Mariners in the game. Absolutely massive performance.
KIERAN YAP: Susan Phonsongkham. The former Young Matilda has had her career at Glory hampered by injuries, but against Western United she was electric while on the pitch. Phonsongkham created chance after chance and scored the crucial first goal of Glory’s season. An effervescent talent who can do almost anything with the ball at her feet. She was a joy to watch.
BEN CAREY: Morgan Aquino. She was absolutely pivotal in Perth Glory’s massive win over last season’s runners-up, Western United. She made an incredible 8 saves and kept a clean sheet. Impressive stuff, especially for the first game of the season.
Coach of the week:
Above: Garrath McPherson – a unanimous choice as coach of the week of our contributors. Photo: Brisbane Roar.
BEN GILBY: Garrath McPherson. After a hugely disappointing 2022/23 season, McPherson has rebuilt the Roar and made some impressive signings. However, a first game of the season away to a Melbourne Victory outfit who has arguably the competition’s strongest side on paper was not one too many people expected the Queenslanders to win – but McPherson guided his team to a brilliant three points.
EMMA BURKE: Garrath McPherson. Brisbane played a well-structured game to defeat Melbourne Victory 2-1 at the Victory’s new home ground. McPherson did well to control Victory through a well-set midfield that defended as well as set up attacking chances.
KIERAN YAP: Garreth McPherson has a remarkable record against Melbourne Victory, and that continued in the Round One win. Victory were the favourites on paper, but Brisbane came with a game plan and took their chances to extend The Roars unbeaten record in this fixture to four.
BEN CAREY: Garrath McPherson. What his side, Brisbane Roar, pulled off was nothing short of a miracle: taking out Melbourne Victory, the three-time champions with a team full of youngsters and new signings. The signings he made over the break turned out to be very effective. And most importantly, his team’s late-game management was far improved, and they managed to keep all three hard-earned points.
Event of the week:
Above: Emilia Murray after scoring a late, late equaliser in Adelaide United’s incredible game with Canberra United. Photo: Adelaide United.
BEN GILBY: Emilia Murray. A late leveller in an incredible match containing eight goals. Another stunning reaction from the youngster as it went in as well!
EMMA BURKE: Grace Kuilamu’s goal against Melbourne Victory. 16 years old, on her first scholarship contract with Brisbane, gets the start for her first game of the season, and scores an incredible goal (also a first). What more could you ask for?
KIERAN YAP: For the second season in a row, Emilia Murray has scored a dramatic late goal on opening day. This time it was to save a point for Adelaide United in a 4-4 thriller. It was an incredible way to end an amazing game.
BEN CAREY: Adelaide United v Canberra United. Eight goals. Three penalties. Horrendous errors. Moments of absolute brilliance. A total thriller from start to finish. Hard to take your eyes away from it.
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